Vukovar Nocturne

EDEN finalist 2010/2011

Vukovar Nocturne

Vukovar – the cradle of European civilization

The Vukovar Nocturne encompasses all memorial sites in Vukovar, the symbol of defence and suffering in the Croatian War of Independence at the end of the 20th century. Start your visit with the Vukovar Hospital and see faithful reconstructions of the lives of the wounded and the hospital personnel during the several months of occupation. On the walls there are chronological descriptions of the events based on the memories of the hospital personnel, you can also see the cramped rooms, a hole in the ceiling made by an unexploded shell.... You will be surprised by the intense emotions, the numerous questions that will come to you, with no logical answer. No one can stay indifferent in this place.

After the hospital visit Ovčara, a mass grave and the Memorial Home opened in a hangar where the victims spent their final moments. You cannot help but ask yourself the question of where does that monstrosity in human nature come from that an ordinary farm can be turned into such a terrible scene of crime? From Ovčara the road towards Vukovar leads to the Victims Memorial Cemetery where white crosses for the fallen in the War of Independence spread across the seemingly endless field. A sad and beautiful picture.

Visit the Memorial Centre dedicated to the Croatian War of Independence where you will see a chronology of the events that happened in the 1990s in Croatia. In the Memorial Home of Croatian Veterans you will be impressed by the courage and strength that they displayed while defending the town. The Vukovar Nocturne ends in the town centre, at the confluence of the rivers Vuka and the Danube where an impressive cross was erected in remembrance of all those who lost their lives in the War of Independence.

Every place listed here makes a lasting impression it its own way, being painful but dignified at the same time. Filled with emotion you will want to return to Vukovar, a town with a dark past, but also filled with cultural heritage, beauty and hospitable citizens.